Self-adjusting mold-jacket.



J. F. WEST.

SELF ADJUSTING MOLD JACKET.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.8. I917. 1,278,805. Patented Sept. 10,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Ii 1i fin Mazda?" J. F. WEST.

SELF ADJUSTING MOLD JACKET.

APPLICATION FILED IAN- 3,1917.

1 ,27, U5 0 Patented Sept. 1(), 1918.

QSHEETS-SHEET 2.

I71 U672 for" JOHN 13. WEST, OF LANCASTER, NEW YORK.

SELF-ADJUSTING MOLD-JACKET.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Sept. 10,1918.

Application filed January 8, 1917. Serial No. 141,134.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, JOHN F. Wns'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Self-Adjusting Mold- Jackets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the jackets which are applied to sand molds to prevent their breakage by the pressure of the gases generated upon pouring the molten metal into them.

Heretofore the beveled walls of such jackets have been practically rigid. Such molds are commonly made by comparatively unskilled laborers, who are often careless in passing the jackets. over the molds, sometimes chipping or breaking off the walls in one or more places and leaving spaces between the mold and the jacket. Wherever such spaces occur the walls of the mold are unbacked or unsupported, rendering them liable to be broken by the gas pressure.

The main object of my invention is the provision of a self-adjusting or yieldable mold-jacket which is capable of adapting itself to variations in the size of molds and which at the same time tightly embraces the mold and exerts uniform pressure against all sides thereof.

A further object is to so construct the jacket that in passing it over the mold it will bear squarely against the same and avoid injury thereto, regardless of whether the jacket is carelessly applied to the mold in an uneven or more or less distorted condition.

An additional object is to provide simple means for locking the walls of the jacket, if desired, to render the jacket practically rigid after passing it over the mold.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the jacket applied to a mold. Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a top plan view. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of one corner of the jacket. Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section of one of the corners. Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section on line 6--6, Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section on line 7-7, Fig. 3.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

1 indicates the beveled side walls and 2 the beveled end walls of the mold jacket which may be constructed of any suitable material such as pressed steel or malleable iron. At their corners these walls are yieldingly connected together by any suitable means in such manner that the jacket is expansible and free to adjust itself to the walls of the sand mold in passing the jacket over it. In the construction shown in the drawings, each of the end walls is provided at its ends with projecting arms or extensions 3, the inner portions of which are arranged in the plane of said wall and provided with openings l, practically forming loops through which loosely pass arms or lugs 5 extending lengthwise from the ends of the side walls. These openings are of suflicient size in both dimensions to permit the opposing walls of the jacket to move toward and from each other. The outer portions of the two arms at the same corner of the jacket are arranged diagonally and substantially parallel with each other, as shown and between their outer ends is interposed a coiled or other suitable spring 6 which may be retained in place by studs 7 projecting inwardly from said members into the ends of the spring. By this an rangement the engaging arms cross each other at the corner of the jacket and those of each pair are constantly urged away from each other by the springs 6, thereby moving.

the side and end walls toward each other and allowing the jacket to expand in passing it over the sand-mold and to accommodate itself to the size thereof. The jacket thus closely hugs the mold walls over the entire area of the jacket walls, firmly supporting and embracing the mold on all sides and enabling it to withstand the pressure of the gases generated in pouring the metal.

In addition to the pairs of arms 3 and 5, the jacket is preferably provided at each corner with lugs or shields 8, 9, arranged to partially close the spaces which would otherwise be left at the corners of the jacket when more or less expanded. The shields 8 of the end walls are arranged in the plane thereof and of the proper length to overlap the ends of the side walls under the maximum expansion of the jacket, while the shields 9 carried by the side walls are arranged in the plane of the latter and overlap the ends of the end walls, the shields of the adjoining walls loosely crossing each other to permit the necessary inward-and outward movement of the jacket walls.

As shown in the drawings, the pairs of arms 3, 5 are arranged centrally or about midway between the top and bottom of the jacket and said shields are arranged above and below the arms. This arrangement in conjunction with the yielding and relatively loose or pivotal. corner-connections of the jacket-walls allows the adjoining walls to freely tilt or rock on each other in passing the jacket over the mold, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, as well as to move bodily toward and from each other in adjusting themselves to the walls of the mold. This rocking or tilting capacity of the walls permits them to bear squarely against the walls of the mold, even if the jacket should be carelessly passed over it in a more or less uneven or contorted condition, the jacket under all circumstances accommodating itself to the mold-walls without chipping or otherwise injuring them, as is liable to happen when a rigid jacket is unevenly applied. To facilitate this swiveling or rocking action of the jacket walls, the end of each wall is preferably curved vertically, as shown at 10, the curve being approximately concentric with the pivotal connection at the opposite end of the wall formed by the loosely-interlocked arms 3, 5, so that the cooked or displaced end of each distorted wall swings upon said connection as a'center.

The jacket is provided at its ends with suitable handles 11.

Ordinarily, the compressed springs 6 form a sufiicient stop or resistance to practically check expansion of the jacket after being passed down over the mold, but if desired, positive stops or looking devices may be employed for this purpose. Those shown in the drawingscomprise a pair of vertically-swinging levers 12 arranged at each end of the jacket. They are pivoted at 18 and each is provided at its outer end with a depending wedge-shaped locking bolt 14 arranged to enter between the diagonal portions of adjacent crossedarms 3, 5, to block their further approach and thereby rigidly and positively resist further expansion of the jacket, rendering it practically rigid when thus locked. The outer arms of the locking levers preferably overbalance the inner ones, so that upon releasing the latter, the bolts 14 automatically engage with the jacket arms 3, 5, as shown by full lines in the drawings. Said inner arms are bent upwardly to form push rods 15 which are arrangedto be depressed by the thumbs grasping :the"handlesfof thefij acket to apply it*to-- the mold; a 1n the' 'construction Shown; :theoin-ner arnisaofthe; lock-in levers are located between the upper and lower members of the handlesand the push rods pass through longitudinal slots 16 of the upper handle-members.

Preparatory to slipping the jacket over a mold the locking bolts are withdrawn to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and after lowering the jacket to place, they are released. to lock the jacket-walls and prevent their further expansion.

The employment of such locking devices permits the use of lighter springs, rendering the jacket-walls more yi'eldable and mold with less liability of injuring-it.

By the construction hereinbefore de-' scribed, the jacket is not only self adjusting, but its walls are interchangeable with similar walls of diiferent dimensions to form jackets of various sizes. wFor-example, if the jacket is twelve inches wide and sixteen inches long, it may be shortened to form a jacket twelve inches square by substituting a pair of twelve-inchwalls having similar corner-arms and shields. jacket-walls for this purpose, it is only necessary to collapse the jacket or distort it into diamondshape, whereupon the arms 3, 5, at two diagonally oppositecorners will reoede from each other sufficiently to allow the corresponding springs to drop out of place. The arms of the several walls can then be readily separated.

I claim as. my invention:

1. An expansible mold-jacket, comprising walls movable toward and from one another, and springs arrangedat the corners of the jacket to urge opposite walls toward each other to contract the'jacket.

2. An expansible mold-jacket, comprising walls'movable toward and from one another, adjoining walls being provided at the corners of the jacket with crossed members, and springs acting on said members to contract the jacket. 7

8. An expansible mold-jacket comprising walls movable towardand from one another, adjoining walls being provided at their ends with crossed members projecting diagonally from the corners of, the jacket,

and springs interposed betweensaid crossed members to resist expansionof thejacketa 4. An expansible mold-jacket, comprising walls movable toward and from one another, one of two adjoining walls being provided at its end with an arm having an opening and the other with an arm passing'through said opening, the outer portions of said arms being substantially parallel, and a spring interposed between said arms.

5. An expansible mold-j acket,,comprising walls movable toward and from one another, opposing wallsbeing provided. at theirfends with apertured arms' and the, .Iother..wall s having companion arms passing through the apertures of the first-named armsfthe To disconnect the enabling the jacket to be passed over the" several pairs of engaging arms extending diagonally from the corners of the jacket, and a spring interposed between the arms of each pair.

6. An expansible mold-jacket, comprising walls movable toward and from one another, means located at the corners of the jacket for pivotally connecting said walls, said corner-connections being arranged about midway of the height of the jacket and the ends of the walls being curved vertically.

7. An expansible mold-jacket, comprising walls movable toward and from one another, the ends of adjoining walls being curved vertically and provided with connecting members located about midway of the height of the jacket, and springs cooperating with said members to resist expansion of the jacket.

8. An expansible mold-j acket, comprising walls movable toward and from one another, adjoining walls being provided centrally at their ends with crossed arms extending diagonally from the corners of the jacket and above and below said arms with shields extending across the corner-joints of the jacket, and a spring interposed between the crossed arms of each pair.

9. An expansible mold-j acket, comprising walls movable toward and from one another, springs located at the corners of the acket and tending to contract it, and positive stops for limiting the expansion of the jacket.

10. An expansible mold-jacket, comprising walls movable toward and from one another, means at the corners of the jacket for yieldingly connecting the adjoining Walls,

handles arranged on opposing walls of the jacket, stops for limiting the expansion of the jacket, and releasing means for said stops located adjacent to said handles.

11. An expansible mold-jacket, comprising walls movable toward and from one another, adjoining walls being provided at the corners of the jacket with connecting arms, springs cooperating with said arms and tending to contract the walls, and vertically-swinging locking-levers applied to the ends of the jacket and arranged to engage said arms to limit the expansion of the jacket-walls.

12. An expansible mold-jacket, comprising walls movable toward and from one another, adjoining walls being provided at the corners of the acket with crossed arms extending diagonally from the corners of the jacket, a spring interposed between the arms of each pair, and vertically-swinging levers fulcrumed at the ends of the jacket and each carrying a locking bolt arranged to enter between the adjacent arms.

13. An expansible mold-jacket, comprising walls movable toward and from one another, opposite walls having slotted handles and adjoining walls being provided at the corners of the jacket with connecting arms, springs cooperating with said arms to contract the walls, and vertically-swinging levers fulcrumed on the walls carrying said handles and provided at their outer ends with locking bolts arranged to block said arms and at their inner ends with push rods passing through the slots of said handles.

JOHN 13. WEST.

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